The present invention relates to a holder to clamp a wire bundle such as a wiring harness and a hose for piping and to fix the same in the engine compartment of an automobile and the like.
One example of a conventional holder is shown in FIG. 7. The conventional holder 220 includes a base member 221 having a curved surface on which a pair of curved supporting ribs 230 are formed, a fastening member 222 having a curved surface on which a pair of curved fastening ribs 240 are formed, and a hinged connecting member 223 interconnecting the base member 221 and the fastening member 222. The hinged connecting member 223 permits pivotal movement of the fastening member 222 between a closed or clamping position (not shown) and an open position as shown in FIG. 7. The base member 221 includes a mounting portion 224 having an insertion opening in which a bracket 225 mounted on an automobile body 214 is received. The base member 221 also includes an engagement lip 227. When the fastening member 222 is pivoted to the clamping position, the engagement 227 may engage an engagement lip 228 provided on the fastening member 222 to achieve the desired snap-interfit therebetween.
To operate the holder 220 thus constructed, an article W such as a wiring harness and a hose is seated on the curved supporting ribs 230 of the base member 221, with the fastening member 222 pivoted to the open position. The fastening member 222 is then pivoted toward its clamping position until the engagement lip 228 is completely engaged with the engagement lip 227 so that the article W is clamped between the supporting ribs 230 of the base member 221 and the fastening ribs 240 of the fastening member 222. Subsequently, the holder 220 is put on the bracket 225 in a manner that the bracket 225 mounted on the automobile body 214 is received in the insertion opening formed on the mounting portion 224 of the base member 221. Thus, the article W is fixedly held on the automobile body 214.
A problem usually associated with the conventional holder is that the engagement lips 227 and 228 are simply engaged with each other to keep the clamping position of the fastening member 222. Therefore, when the engagement lips 227 and 228 are accidentally disengaged, the fastening member 222 is easily moved to its open position, thereby causing falling off of the article W from the holder 220.